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Ceremony of Lights

Dean's Welcome

Betty H. Stewart, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty

On behalf of Eckerd College, it is my pleasure and privilege to welcome the Class of 2015 and our transferstudents.The Ceremony of Lights marks your rite of passage into membership in this unique community. We also welcome your parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and other relatives and friends. You have come from various distances and we are delighted to have you here on campus. You are, after all, our reason for being.

Members of the Class of 2015 received your medallion as you entered this evening. In a few moments you will be welcomed and recognized by other members of our community. We know that you have had a busy day moving belongings, meeting new faces, learning new names and searching for unfamiliar locations. But this sense of strangeness and newness will not last long. In a few days those of you who are students will feel quite at home and invigorated. In fact, by the time the other students return, you will feel as if you own the campus. We want you to feel at home, that you have come to the right place, and that you are among friends. We also have high hopes and expectations for you.

Eckerd's Autumn Term is unique in that it brings first year students together as a class, turns the campus over to them, and gives them three weeks to adjust to the opportunities, expectations, and patterns of college life, both academically and socially. Some of the friendships that you make during Autumn Tem may last a lifetime. We hope that the education that begins here will also serve you well for a lifetime.

This evening you embark together on one of life's great and best adventures. We are privileged to share it with you and extend a warm welcome.